JeremiahChapter 1

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The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin.

The word of the LORD came to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah,

and it continued to come throughout the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, when Jerusalem was carried into exile in the fifth month.

The word of the LORD came to me:

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I set you apart. I appointed you a prophet to the nations."

Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! I do not know how to speak—I am only a boy."

But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a boy.' You will go wherever I send you, and you will speak whatever I command you.

Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD."

Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, "See, I have put my words in your mouth.

See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms: to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.

The word of the LORD came to me: "What do you see, Jeremiah?" "I see a branch of an almond tree," I answered.[^1] [^1]: The Hebrew word for "almond tree" (shaqed) sounds like the word for "watching" (shoqed) in the next verse.

Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to carry it out."

Again the word of the LORD came to me: "What do you see?" "I see a boiling pot," I answered, "tilted away from the north."

Then the LORD said to me: "Out of the north disaster will break loose on all who live in the land.

For I am summoning all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, declares the LORD. They will come, and each will set up his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all her surrounding walls and against all the cities of Judah.

I will pronounce my judgments against them for all their wickedness in forsaking me, in burning incense to other gods, and in worshiping the works of their own hands.

Now brace yourself, stand up and tell them everything I command you. Do not be terrified of them, or I will terrify you before them.

Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land.

They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD."

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Summary3

Chapter 1

Main Theme: God calls Jeremiah to be a prophet for the nations and promises to be with him.

Content: Jeremiah, son of the priest Hilkiah from Anathoth, is called as a prophet in the 13th year of King Josiah's reign. God tells him that He knew and set him apart even before his birth. When Jeremiah protests that he is too young, God touches his mouth and gives him authority over the nations—to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, but also to build and to plant. Through visions of an almond branch and a boiling pot tilting from the north, God reveals that He watches over His word to fulfill it, and that disaster will come from the north upon Judah because of their idolatry.

Key Words/Images:

Called from the womb: God knew and set Jeremiah apart before his birth, showing that the prophetic mission was God's sovereign will.
Almond branch (שָׁקֵד): A wordplay with "watch" (שֹׁקֵד)—symbolizing that God watches over His word to fulfill it.
Boiling pot from the north: Symbolizes the coming judgment upon Judah from northern enemies.
Fortified city, pillar of iron, wall of bronze: Images of God's protection of Jeremiah against opposition from kings, leaders, and people.

About Jeremiah

Jeremiah

About the Book

The book of Jeremiah is one of the major prophetic books in the Old Testament, containing 52 chapters. The prophet Jeremiah, son of the priest Hilkiah from Anathoth in Benjamin, ministered from the time of King Josiah (around 627 B.C.) until the fall of Jerusalem (586 B.C.) and beyond. The book contains prophecies, historical accounts, and personal laments from a prophet who witnessed Judah’s destruction.

Main Theme

God’s judgment on Judah for breaking the covenant and practicing idolatry, the call to repentance, and the promise of future restoration through a new covenant.

Outline of Contents

Jeremiah’s Call and Early Warnings (Chapters 1–6)
The Temple Sermon and Israel’s Apostasy (Chapters 7–10)
The Broken Covenant and Symbolic Actions (Chapters 11–13)
Drought, Judgment, and the Prophet’s Laments (Chapters 14–17)
The Potter’s House and Jeremiah’s Sufferings (Chapters 18–20)
Prophecies Against Kings and False Prophets (Chapters 21–24)
The Seventy Years of Exile and Conflicts (Chapters 25–29)
Book of Comfort: Promises of Restoration and a New Covenant (Chapters 30–33)
Historical Accounts During the Siege (Chapters 34–39)
After Jerusalem’s Fall: Gedaliah and Flight to Egypt (Chapters 40–45)
Prophecies Against the Nations (Chapters 46–51)
Historical Epilogue: The Fall of Jerusalem (Chapter 52)

Key Themes

Judgment and Repentance: God repeatedly calls the people to repent before judgment comes, but they refuse to listen.
The New Covenant: God promises to write His law on their hearts and forgive their sins (Jeremiah 31:31–34).
The Prophet’s Suffering: Jeremiah experiences persecution, imprisonment, and loneliness as a result of his calling.
God’s Sovereignty Over Nations: God uses Babylon as His instrument, but He will also judge Babylon.
Hope Amid Judgment: Even in the midst of destruction, God gives promises of restoration and future hope.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for Jeremiah 1

People

Jeremiah son of Hilkiah is introduced as a priest from Anathoth in the land of Benjamin (v. 1). His name (יִרְמְיָהוּ) likely means "the Lord exalts" or "the Lord casts." As a priest from Anathoth, he probably belonged to the descendants of Abiathar, who was banished there by Solomon (1 Kings 2:26). This placed Jeremiah within a priestly tradition that stood outside the Jerusalem establishment.

Josiah, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah are mentioned in vv. 2–3 to date Jeremiah’s call and ministry from the thirteenth year of Josiah’s reign (627/626 B.C.) until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month (586 B.C.).

Places

Anathoth (עֲנָתוֹת) was a Levitical city in Benjamin, located at present-day Anata, about five kilometers northeast of Jerusalem. Archaeological excavations have confirmed settlement at the site during the Iron Age. Its proximity to Jerusalem meant that Jeremiah could observe the political and religious life of the capital up close while maintaining a certain distance. The city’s name may be connected to the Canaanite goddess Anat.

Key Terms

"Navi laggojim" (נָבִיא לַגּוֹיִם – "prophet for the nations," v. 5) is an unusual designation that emphasizes that Jeremiah’s mandate extended beyond Judah. This establishes already in the call narrative that his message has universal scope.

"Naar" (נַעַר – "young man/boy," vv. 6–7) is used in the Old Testament for both infants and young men up to about twenty years of age. Jeremiah’s objection concerns not only his age but also his lack of experience and status. God’s rejection of this objection establishes an important principle: prophetic authority comes from God’s call, not human qualifications.

The wordplay שָׁקֵד/שֹׁקֵד (almond branch/watches, vv. 11–12) exploits the Hebrew sound similarity between "shaqed" (almond tree) and "shoqed" (watches). The almond tree blooms first of all trees in spring and was therefore associated with watchfulness. The vision assures that God actively watches over His word to fulfill it.

Events and Customs

The touching of the mouth (v. 9) is a ritual act marking prophetic commissioning. A similar action occurs at Isaiah’s call (Isa 6:7). In the ancient Near East, the mouth was regarded as the place where divine and human speech met. The act symbolizes that henceforth the prophet’s words are God’s words—a concrete transfer of divine authority.

"The boiling pot" (סִיר נָפוּחַ, vv. 13–14) turned from the north was an image any Israelite would understand: military threat traditionally came from the north, since both Assyrian and Babylonian armies had to follow the Fertile Crescent northward to reach Israel. This geographical reality made "the north" a synonym for danger in prophetic imagery.

People6

Jehoiakim (son of Josiah)1 Hilkiah (Father of Eliakim, steward under King Hezekiah)1 Amon (Amon, the governor of Samaria under King Ahab)1 Josiah2 Jeremiah1 Zedekiah (son of Kenaanah, prophet under Ahab)1

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Key words7

Call — God's invitation or commission to a person to carry out a specific service or task.
Jeremiah — A prophet in the Old Testament who was called by God to deliver His message to the people of Israel.
Prophecy — A divinely inspired statement or message, often concerning future events, given through a prophet.
The Nations — Various peoples and lands, especially those surrounding Israel at that time.
Judgment — God's righteous punishment over sin and evil, often expressed through destruction or suffering.
Holy — Dedicated to God; something or someone set apart from the ordinary and assigned for divine use.
Lord — A name often used to refer to God in the Old Testament, especially in His role as Israel's God and protector.